The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty *****

The women: Tess's husband has fallen in love with her best friend, Rachel's daughter was murdered, and Cecilia's husband has a secret. Actually, as in real life, everyone has secrets ... from their partners, their parents, their children, and themselves. This intricately plotted novel (I think of Dickens) is about introspection, fear and self-discovery.

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty follows the journeys of these three women from (sometimes blissful) ignorance to ambiguous knowledge. Though the book references Pandora, knowing is ambiguous, sometimes leading to understanding and sometimes to resignation.

This is marketed as a "book club favorite," and it is easy to see how this story can lead to interesting sharing and personal discussions.

My only difficulty was that the main character were very similar in very similar situations, so the character names were the main cues as to which one was acting in each situation. Since I am not good with names, I found myself often confused. Regardless, the plot was terrific and I'd recommend the book to anyone wanting to read about contemporary people/parents and their quotidian struggles.

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway on July 29, 2013. I received the book on August 8, 2013.